Hidden Agendas
by Ruthie
Summary: Jack breaks a promise to Sam on their return to Edora, and Laira seems determined to split them up forever - but just how far will she go?


Title: Hidden Agendas   
  
Rating: R  
  
Details: MAJOR Sam/Jack angst!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Spoilers: Emancipation, In the Line of Duty, A Hundred Days, Summit, and Last Stand   
  
Summary: Jack breaks a promise to Sam on their return to Edora. Laira is determined to split them apart forever - but how far will she go?  
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters in this story belong to me. They are the property of MGM, Gekko Film Corp and Double Secret Productions. No copyright infringement intended.   
  
Author's Note: This is a blatant Laira-hating fanfic. It's also very long. Please send feedback to samcarterusaf@yahoo.co.uk   
  
~ Hidden Agendas ~  
  
By Ruth   
  
**********  
  
Sam looked at the mission report in front of her. Her heart fell to her feet and she sighed deeply.   
  
Destination: P5C-768, More commonly known as 'Edora'   
  
Why on Earth were they going back there? Of all the planets that General Hammond could have chosen, he chose Edora. Now she would have to go back and re-live all of the pain she had felt for those three months that Jack had been missing. She would have to set foot once again on the planet where her commanding officer gave up on her. But worst of all, she would have to meet that woman again.   
  
Laira.   
  
  
  
Jack was also looking at the report in front of him. His heart sank when he read the name of the planet they would be visiting. This had repercussions for both him and Carter. He had finally found out about what she had done to try and get him back, and it had haunted him ever since. Now he was going to have to go back and face Laira again, who would probably want to pick up from where she left off. But he couldn't do that, not now. Now he had another woman in his life.   
  
**********  
  
General Hammond broke the silence around the table.   
  
"I understand that this will be a painful mission for you, Colonel, but this Intel is vital for our world's safety. I wouldn't be sending you for any other reason."   
  
"Yes, General," said Jack, without looking up. He couldn't bear to see the look on Sam's face.   
  
"Once you arrive on Edora..."   
  
Sam flinched internally at the mention of the planet. Jeez Carter, she thought, get a hold of yourself!   
  
"....you will wait for the Tok'ra informant to arrive. They will give you specific details of what you will have to do from then on. Is that understood?"   
  
"Yes, sir," Sam, Daniel and Jack repeated.   
  
"Indeed, General Hammond," said Teal'c, deliberately replying later, attempting to lighten the atmosphere. He was rewarded with a small smile from Sam.   
  
"You move out at 0900 hours, SG-1. You have a go."   
  
As Sam gathered her things from the table, Jack cast a look at her. She was pale and looked very tired. He reminded himself to talk to her about getting more sleep. He left the room and went to wait for her in her lab, where he knew she would go.   
  
**********  
  
Sam opened the door of her lab and placed her stuff down on the desk, sliding stiffly into her chair with a sigh. Her whole body still ached from a mission two days earlier, when she'd suffered a rough landing on both her entrance and exit from the gate on both sides.   
  
"Still painful, huh?" asked a soft voice suddenly, making her jump.   
  
"Colonel!" she gasped, "You scared me! What are you doing in my lab?"   
  
He walked over to her, and began to play with one of the most expensive pieces of equipment in her lab. "I just wanted to talk to you."   
  
"About?" she demanded, sounding more aggressive than she had meant. Seeing the hurt expression in his eyes, she sighed again.   
  
"I'm sorry, Colonel, I just don't know what to do about..."   
  
"Neither do I," he admitted, putting his hands in his pockets.   
  
"It's been what, two years? I still haven't got over..."   
  
Jack silenced her by placing a finger to her lips. "Ssh. It doesn't matter, Sam. All that matters is that this mission is not going to change the way I feel about you. Okay?"   
  
"Promise?" she asked.   
  
"Promise," he agreed, pulling her gently into his arms. "And when we get back, we'll go back to my place and just relax for a few days, maybe have Daniel and Teal'c round for a few videos, Janet too if you really want a party."   
  
Sam smiled. "Sounds great," she said.   
  
Jack took her face gently into his hands. "Just hold that thought," he said, giving her a gentle kiss.   
  
"I will," she said, returning the kiss.   
  
**********  
  
At 0900 hours exactly, SG-1 were preparing to step through the gate to Edora.   
  
"Chevron five encoded!"   
  
Sam closed her eyes, and tried to think about watching videos with Jack, Daniel, Teal'c and Janet when this whole nightmare would be over.   
  
"Chevron six encoded!"   
  
Jack took a deep breath and thought of being at home, curled up on his couch with Sam in his arms. Just a couple of days and he would be there...   
  
"Chevron seven...locked!"   
  
The gate activated, jarring Sam and Jack from their pleasant thoughts. Reluctantly, they stepped through the gate.   
  
**********  
  
Edora was just as he had remembered. The sun was shining, birds sang in the trees and there was not a cloud in the sky. Vast expanses of green grass were in front of them, and in the distance they could see a thin trail of smoke leading into the sky, where the village was situated.   
  
Very slowly, SG-1 began their walk to the village.   
  
Jack:   
  
I really don't want to be back here. My life was perfect until I had to return to this damned planet! Carter and I were getting on brilliantly, hell - better than brilliantly! We'd finally admitted our feelings for each other and we were actually starting to get somewhere when this happens. Well, thank you General Hammond. And the damned Tok'ra - why the hell did they have to chose this planet, out of all the hundreds of thousands of millions of other planets, they had to chose Edora. Nice one. Remind self to shout at Jacob for this at a later date. I love Sam more than anything in the world, and I'm just terrified that this place is going to tear us apart again. I can't hurt her again, not like I did before. She doesn't deserve it. She didn't deserve it last time.   
  
Sam:   
  
Jack's gone very quiet. I know as well as he does that this planet does not hold good memories. This place where Jack was stranded appears perfectly innocent, especially since they managed to un-bury their gate, but this planet is anything but placid. Just two years ago, the 'fire rain' as Laira liked to call it, buried the Edoran gate with Jack still stuck on the wrong side. Me, Teal'c and Daniel made it back just fine, but not Jack. My commanding officer, the man who I'm forbidden to fraternise with, yet the only man who I've ever felt this way for. Damn the regs! Our love is a forbidden one, one that we've been keeping a secret since it first started. I'm just terrified that it will end. I love him so much.   
  
Daniel:   
  
Sam and Jack have both gone really quiet. I know that this planet holds painful memories for both of them. Jack was stranded here for a hundred days, and Sam nearly worked herself to death trying to bring him back. I remember it like it was yesterday - I'd never seen her so tired. Then, when she arrived to bring him home he was a complete git and didn't even thank her. I remember her face, that look of complete hopelessness. I hated him that day, but the two of them seem to have made up and have been getting on much better. I only hope that he won't act like an ass and hurt Sam's feelings again this time. I'm not sure she'd stand for it.   
  
Teal'c:   
  
Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill have not spoken since we arrived on the planet. Daniel Jackson appears deep in thought. I am aware that this particular planet does not bode well for either Major Carter or Colonel O'Neill, and it distresses me to remember the state that the two of them were in after their first experience here. Major Carter worked herself to exhaustion and Colonel O'Neill returned to us very changed. For many a day he would speak to no one. I hope that my friends will remain united through their troubles, as they are the Tau'ri and do not believe in leaving anybody behind. However, the Tau'ri are much more complicated, emotional beings than the Jaffa, so I cannot predict what will occur.   
  
**********  
  
Laira looked excitedly at the horizon. She saw four figures approaching. The tall, dark Jaffa by the name of Teal'c, the younger archaeologist Daniel Jackson, her beloved Jack O'Neill and...her eyes narrowed. There, next to her beloved Jack was the tall, incredibly thin blonde-haired scientist Major Carter.   
  
She folded her arms and set her mouth in a thin line. This could be a problem for her. She turned her back and went back into her small hut, planning what she would do next. Her small eyes glinted with glee as she thought of something, hurriedly going to rub some black berry under her eyes, imitating those that Major Carter always seemed to have. Jack had told her it was because Sam didn't get enough sleep and that he was always telling her to get more rest.   
  
He also told her that Sam never listened to him, and continued to exhaust herself. Laira did not understand this. She would happily throw herself off of a bridge if Jack asked her to, yet he was close to this woman who ignored what he asked her to do. When she was a little girl, Laira would have been punished for ignoring the orders of a person older than her. Perhaps a little discipline was what Major Carter needed. She called her youngest son to her and began whispering to him under her breath.   
  
**********  
  
Sam swallowed as they reached the village. There were many faces there that she recognised, but Laira's was not among them. They were all surprised when a young boy was seemingly booted out of one of the huts and came slowly towards them. Jack instantly recognised him as Laira's youngest son, but he couldn't remember his name.   
  
"Hi!" said Daniel, giving the boy a friendly wave that was coolly ignored.  
  
  
  
Daniel, noticing this, looked at Sam. She shrugged, and muttered, "Kids these days, Daniel."   
  
"You're telling me!"   
  
The young boy ignored them and went over to Jack.   
  
"I have something to tell you."   
  
Jack frowned. "Like what?"   
  
Teal'c took a step closer and the boy hid behind Jack.   
  
"It's okay, Teal'c is my friend, like Sam and Daniel. He won't hurt you!"   
  
"I can only talk to you," he said, grabbing Jack's hand and pulling him into the nearest hut.   
  
Teal'c began to go after him but the boy screamed: "Go away!"   
  
Teal'c looked back at Sam and Daniel in surprise. Sam shrugged. Daniel attempted an explanation. "Teal'c, some children are not cared for as well as others, which turns them into slightly more aggressive and, well, rude youngsters."   
  
Teal'c frowned. "On Chulak he would be beaten for such insolence. Fortunately we are not on Chulak. I still do not understand why he would be so aggressive. He has many brothers and sisters, does he not? Surely they would have all been brought up equally so as to avoid this sort of behaviour."   
  
"It differs from family to family, Teal'c," Daniel explained.   
  
"I see," said Teal'c. Clearly, he did not.   
  
Sam and Daniel sighed, and began explaining the finer points of childhood to the Jaffa.   
  
**********  
  
The hut was very dark, so dark that Jack could not see his hand in front of his face. He saw some light ahead of him, and heard a woman sobbing.   
  
"Laira?" he asked.   
  
She did not reply, just continued to cry.   
  
"Laira, what's wrong?" he asked, sitting down on the bed beside her.   
  
She didn't reply again, just cuddled closer to him and kept on crying.   
  
"Laira, honey, talk to me," he said, holding her numbly in his arms, remembering his promise to Sam.   
  
"Oh Jack," she sobbed, "I'm so glad you have returned."   
  
**********  
  
"So then Mark told my father that it was me who had trodden mud into the carpet," said Sam.   
  
"What action did you take?" enquired Teal'c.   
  
Sam smirked at the memory. "We had a huge fight in the middle of the lounge in front of all of our aunts and uncles."   
  
Teal'c frowned. "Surely that angered him more."   
  
"Nope. When my mom dragged me off of him we realised the scene we'd just made and started laughing. We didn't half get into trouble with my dad, though."   
  
Daniel grinned at the thought of Sam rolling around on the floor beating up her brother Mark in front of all of their family. He couldn't quite picture it.   
  
Teal'c also smiled.   
  
"Your household must have been an amusing one to grow up in, Major Carter."   
  
"Oh, you don't know the half of it, Teal'c. I haven't told you about the incidents with custard and a tin of white primer yet."   
  
Daniel raised his eyebrows and looked at Teal'c. Teal'c grinned and looked at Sam.   
  
"Please continue, Major Carter."   
  
"Well...."   
  
**********  
  
Eventually Laira stopped crying.   
  
"Now, are you going to tell me what's going on?" asked Jack.   
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I just didn't know what to do."   
  
"What happened?" asked Jack gently.   
  
"When you..."   
  
They were interrupted by a roar of laughter from Teal'c. When he had quietened down, she continued.   
  
"When you were stranded here, and I asked you to help me to have a baby..." her voice trailed off, and Jack's heart sank.   
  
"Yes?" he asked nervously.   
  
"Well, I got pregnant," she smiled. "But I.....I lost it."   
  
"Oh, Laira, I'm so sorry," said Jack. "How, I mean...why?"   
  
"I don't know," she said, formulating a plot in her mind, "I was very tired but I had to keep working or we would have gone hungry...I knew that I needed to sleep but we couldn't starve and..." she began to cry again.   
  
"Come here," he said. "You need your sleep, Laira, isn't that what I told you before? You need to sleep or you'll be ill."   
  
"Major Carter doesn't get ill," said Laira quietly.   
  
Jack frowned, not sure where that comment had come from.   
  
"Yeah, well, Sam's just too damn stubborn to do anything she knows is good for her. It'll catch up on her after a while."   
  
Sam? SAM? He hadn't called her that last time. Before, it'd only been Carter, but now it was Sam. Oh dear, things were worse than she'd thought possible. They had grown closer, not been driven further apart. Now her whole plan was ruined, unless - she smiled. No, maybe all was not lost for her secret agenda.   
  
**********  
  
Teal'c wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and grinned broadly at Sam.   
  
"You must tell me more tales of your childhood, Major Carter, but no more today. I believe I am going to..how do you say it...rip my edges."   
  
This time Sam and Daniel giggled. "Split your sides, Teal'c."   
  
"Indeed. That is what I meant, Major Carter."   
  
Sam's laughter soon turned into a nervous one. Jack had been in that hut for an awfully long time - what if something had happened to Laira? She wasn't entirely sure that the woman wouldn't try to pull the wool over his eyes about what had happened since he had gone, but all she could do was hope that Jack would remain faithful to his promise. For the time being, however, she was preoccupied with helping Teal'c to prevent his edges from ripping.   
  
**********  
  
"Jack, you and your friends - will you be staying?"   
  
"Yes, we'll be staying," he said, rubbing her back. "As long as you need me, we'll be here."   
  
Laira smiled. He then noticed the huge black bags under her eyes.   
  
"Jeez," he said, "You've nearly got enough there to challenge Carter!"  
  
"Sorry," she said shyly.   
  
"C'mon, some sunshine would do you good," said Jack.   
  
"Oh, if you insist," she smiled, wiping her eyes and pulling herself to her feet.   
  
As Jack exited the hut with Laira, he saw Sam's head snap up to make sure that he was okay, then rapidly turn away again.   
  
"Fair day, Laira," said Daniel politely.   
  
"Fair day, Daniel. It is so nice to see all of you again!"   
  
Sam smiled too, and greeted Laira in the same way what Daniel did.   
  
"Fair day, Samantha," she said, only just holding onto her glee as she noticed the shudder of disgust from Sam at being called by her full name.   
  
Jack also noticed the discomfort. He felt guilty - he had already gone back on his promise to Sam by telling Laira that he would stay as long as she needed him, which was more than he'd ever said to Sam.   
  
**********  
  
That evening, Laira had made sure that Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were settled in one of the huts - Jack was to sleep under her roof. Sam had a feeling that Jack had made promises to Laira already, as he had spent most of the day with her.   
  
She felt a pang of jealousy - after everything that they had been through, he was still more attracted to Laira. She sighed, bit her lip and began to wonder what it was that warned men away from her, what was it that she did wrong? The thing most men shunned was her job - theoretical astrophysicist, a Major of the United States Air Force. Then there was the fact that her hair was short, which some men were funny about, and the fact that she had very little in the way of a social life.   
  
However, these things had never bothered Jonas. She smiled to herself. Those first few months with Jonas had been wonderful. She'd never met anyone who loved her like he did. She would soon realise that this was a fatal relationship that was only heading for trouble, ending in his death through the Stargate a few months after they split up. She still missed him, a bastard though he had been in his final days. Since that day, Jack had been her only constant (except from Daniel and Teal'c, of course) and now she feared that his support was rapidly going to disappear.   
  
**********  
  
Daniel noted how Jack had barely put in an appearance again. The man was a fool, he had decided, to take Sam for granted so often. One of these days she was just going to snap and end up hitting him or something, he was sure of it.   
  
He, Sam and Teal'c were sitting outside looking at the night sky. He shuffled closer to Sam on the log that they were somewhat uncomfortably seated on, which earned him a smile. He then began to tell Teal'c about all of the constellations. Sam seemed to drift off into her own little world. Daniel suspected that she was wondering what Jack was doing - as were he and Teal'c.  
  
  
  
In truth, Sam was also thinking about her mother. Mama said there'd be days like this, she thought to herself, wishing that her mother was still alive. If there was anything that Sam could have done with these past few years, it would have been her mother. Her father was too obsessed with his work to care much for her problems, though he did try his hardest.   
  
As the breeze blew about the tufts of her hair, Sam promised herself that she would not let Jack get to her. He'd obviously chosen his path and she would have to accept that, whether she was happy with it or not.   
  
"C'mon," said Daniel, "Let's get some sleep. We have to be ready for the Tok'ra informant."   
  
**********  
  
It was dark when Jack finally emerged from Laira's hut. The stars were out in the night sky and there was a gentle breeze blowing. He had to find Sam. Laira had been very distressed, and he knew that she probably would be for some time.   
  
He felt partly to blame for her miscarriage, putting all of those ideas into her head and constantly talking about Carter. He wouldn't blame her, though, that wouldn't be fair at all. Where the hell was she?   
  
He looked down at Daniel and Teal'c sleeping and Kelno'reeming, but Sam was not with them. Dammit, he thought, she should be sleeping. Why did she never listen to him?   
  
After a few moments' walking, he found her. She was sat down by the edge of a lake, the very lake where he had sat just two years ago and stared into the water, waiting for her.   
  
"Sam?" he asked.   
  
"Jack? I thought you were with Laira!" Sam managed to keep the iciness out of her voice, though she still felt it deeply inside her.   
  
"She's asleep," said Jack, sitting down beside her.   
  
"So she doesn't know you're gone?" Sam asked.   
  
"Ah......no."   
  
Sam smiled. "Be careful, she'll be wanting you back before long..."   
  
"Sam, will you please listen to me?" asked Jack, "You don't understand."   
  
"Laira's upset, and she wants you to stay with her and live happily ever after.   
  
I understand." This time, she was not able to keep the ice from her voice.   
  
"Sam!" said Jack, slightly hurt, "If you knew why...."   
  
"But you're not going to tell me, are you? You promised me, Jack! You promised me that this wouldn't change us!" Her voice rose slightly.   
  
"It's not going to change us," said Jack, "She just needs some time!"   
  
"You're lying! You know as well as I do that she doesn't want you to leave!"   
  
"She needs me, Sam!" he said, his voice also rising.   
  
"And what if I need you, Jack? What about that? Or do I not matter any more?"   
  
"Sam, I never said that! Just wait a couple of days and we can...."   
  
"Don't bother!" she said, biting back her tears and standing up, walking away from him.   
  
"Why do you always have to over-react?" Jack shouted.   
  
"Me? Over-react? You're something, Jack O'Neill, you really are!"   
  
"Oh really?" shouted Jack, "You're a fine one to talk, Miss, 'I fancy the pants off my CO and I'll kill myself with exhaustion trying to get him back if I want to!'"   
  
Jack realised once that comment had come out of his mouth that it was totally the wrong thing to have said. He would have apologised, but Sam was much too pissed off for that.   
  
"You bastard! Next time you're stranded on an alien planet with no way home, I won't bother! I'm sure you will have homed up with some delicious young alien woman anyway!"   
  
"Major, you are out of line!" He resorted to pulling rank on her.   
  
"I don't care! The truth hurts, doesn't it Colonel?"   
  
"Maybe, but at least I have a better taste in women than you do in men!"   
  
"Oh, that hurt Colonel, that really hurt!" She spat sarcastically.   
  
"You mean the same hurt after Jonas used to beat you, or a different one?"   
  
Sam's eyes darkened at the mention of her ex-fiancé. "He was a good man."   
  
Jeez, Sam thought, you're actually sticking up for the bastard!  
  
Jack laughed. "A good man? He beat the crap out of you!"   
  
"Maybe he did, but the love we shared for those first few months was true. He was honest and kind to me, he kept his promises!"   
  
"What have I got to do?" asked Jack, "Start beating you? Would that make me an honest man?"   
  
The argument continued.   
  
**********  
  
Laira woke up to the sound of shouting. She sat up in bed and craned her head to listen. When she realised who it was, an evil smile spread across her lips.   
  
Things were going better than she'd thought. All she had to do was incriminate Sam somehow and the woman would be gone for good, and Jack would be hers! He'd always been a sucker for vulnerable women, and now she was glad of that fact.   
  
**********  
  
"You promised me!" She shouted.   
  
"I haven't gone back on that promise!" Jack defended.   
  
"As long as you need me, we'll be here." Sam said. "That sounds like a broken promise to me."   
  
"Fine!" Yelled Jack, "See if I care - you always take things the wrong way!"   
  
Sam turned around to yell something back at him, but he wasn't finished.   
  
"Yes, I care about Laira, she's a good woman. As far as I'm concerned, Sam, you and me were a mistake!"   
  
It was at that moment that her heart broke. Everything she'd been through both with and for him seemed insignificant. A mistake. Holding back tears, she swallowed.   
  
"Whatever," she said, and began walking away.   
  
"I'll call you as soon as we're done here," he said.   
  
"Don't bother," said Sam, finally letting the tears roll freely from her eyes.  
  
  
  
**********  
  
Laira grinned wickedly. They'd had a fight, and Jack had been absolutely horrible to her! She laid back down in bed again, pretending to be asleep for when Jack came back to her. He would soon be her man, and her man alone.   
  
**********  
  
Daniel yawned and sat up in the hut, feeling around for his glasses. He put them on and looked around him. The sun was shining and it looked like it was going to be another beautiful day on Edora.   
  
Teal'c was still laying down in his sleeping bag between Sam and Daniel, looking up at the roof of the hut in boredom. When Daniel looked past his friend, however, he saw that Sam's sleeping bag was empty.   
  
"Teal'c? Have you seen Sam?"   
  
"I have not, Daniel Jackson."   
  
"Where could she have gone?" Daniel asked, still half asleep.   
  
"I believe she will be out collecting samples." Teal'c reminded him.   
  
"I'm gonna go look for her," said Daniel, heaving himself to his feet.   
  
"That would not be wise, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said cryptically.   
  
Daniel frowned. "Why not?"   
  
Teal'c sighed. "Daniel Jackson, last night, after I had completed my Kelnoreem, I went for a walk down by the river. I witnessed Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter arguing. He said some very unkind things to her, and I believe that for this reason she would want to be alone."   
  
Daniel put his head in his hands. Jack was an ass. "What sort of unkind things?" he asked.   
  
"He said that he cared for Laira, and that he and Sam were a mistake," said Teal'c.   
  
Daniel punched the ground with his fist. "The man is an idiot," he said.   
  
"Teal'c, thanks for the warning, but I think that's even more reason to go look for her." Daniel got up and walked out of the hut.   
  
**********  
  
Jack awoke beside Laira on her bed, the sun pouring in through one of the windows of the small hut. She was still sleeping, and there had been no word from the Tok'ra informant, so it looked like today was going to be another lazy day. He smiled contentedly, and snuggled closer to Laira.   
  
**********  
  
He found her asleep on the ground by the river, the sunlight making patterns on her tear-stained face. She looked like hell.   
  
"Sam?" Daniel whispered softly.   
  
She woke up slowly and looked at him.   
  
"Daniel?"   
  
Then, she suddenly remembered what had happened between her and Jack the night before and she sat up, trying to hold back her tears.   
  
"Sam, I know about what happened last night. Teal'c heard the two of you arguing," Daniel said gently.   
  
Sam put her head in her hands. "I can't say I didn't expect it, Daniel, but he was so cruel..."   
  
She began to cry.   
  
"Hey," said Daniel, pulling her into his arms and rocking her gently. "Jack's an ass not to see that you are one thousand times better than Laira," he consoled her.   
  
"I said some pretty bad things to him, too," she said.   
  
"It doesn't matter. Come on, let's get back to the hut. You look like crap."   
  
"Thanks, Daniel."   
  
"Sam, I didn't mean it like that. It's nothing that a cup of Daniel Jackson coffee won't fix!"   
  
He was rewarded with a smile as he helped her to stand.   
  
"You still have me and Teal'c," he smiled.   
  
"Thanks, Daniel."   
  
**********  
  
Two more days passed on Edora before they heard from the Tok'ra. Teal'c and Daniel noticed the large amount of hostility between Sam and Jack with despair.  
  
It looked as if this time, there was no hope for the two of them.   
  
Sam continued to amuse Teal'c with tales of her and her brother's antics, and Daniel continued to stand by her, whatever the cost.   
  
On the morning of the fifth day, a Tok'ra ship landed. They were all greatly surprised to learn that Jacob was their informant.   
  
"Hey, kid!" he smiled, pulling Sam into his arms and hugging her tightly.   
  
"Hey dad, hey Selmak," said Sam, trying to put on a brave face for her father.   
  
Daniel and Teal'c greeted him, then they stood there for a few moments with an uncomfortable silence.   
  
"Where's Jack?" asked Jacob.   
  
"Uh....he's with Laira," said Sam.   
  
Jacob sensed his daughter's uneasiness almost instantly.   
  
"Ah. Could we prize him away from Laira for a moment, or..?"   
  
"I do not believe it will be easy to prize him, Jacob."   
  
"Ah. Looks like you're in charge then, Sammie."   
  
"What do you need us to do?" asked Sam, trying to get the topic off of Jack.   
  
"Jacob!" called an unenthusiastic voice.   
  
"Jack!" Jacob cried, unenthusiastically back.   
  
"Well, it's nice to see you buddy."   
  
"Jack, we're gonna need your help."   
  
"Uh uh," Jack shook his head, "I'm not doing anything. I have business here. Take Teal'c with you."   
  
Jacob frowned. "But Jack..."   
  
"No buts, Jacob! Take the others and go without me!"   
  
"Jack, what the hell is wrong with you?" asked Jacob.   
  
He turned around and began to walk back to Laira. "Why don't you ask your daughter?"   
  
Sam swallowed and glared at the back of Jack's head.   
  
"Sam?" asked Jacob.   
  
"He's an ass," she finished.   
  
**********  
  
Sam, Daniel and Teal'c boarded Jacob's ship and sat down, waiting for Jacob to explain to them what had to be done.   
  
"Jacob?" asked Daniel.   
  
"You've met Nirrti before, yes?" asked Jacob. The three of them nodded. "She's planning to hold a meeting to discuss an alliance."   
  
"An alliance?" asked Sam, "With whom?"   
  
"Yu, Lord Zipacna and Osiris."   
  
"Sarah?" asked Daniel.   
  
"Yes, Daniel. What we need to do is pose as minor Goa'ulds who wish to join the treaty."   
  
"I thought that Nirrti wanted to work alone, keep herself to herself, you know?" asked Sam.   
  
"She did. That is, until now."  
  
"Uh....Jacob....isn't that incredibly risky?" asked Daniel.   
  
"Well, one of our biggest risks has been removed," said Jacob.   
  
"Colonel O'Neill," finished Teal'c.   
  
"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, he's a good guy, he just gives himself away with the sarcasm and everything..."   
  
"I am aware of what you mean, Jacob," said Teal'c.   
  
"The Tok'ra high council have supplied us with clothes to wear. What I suggest we do is get dressed and into character as soon as possible."   
  
"Great," said Sam, getting up and walking down the ship's corridor, wondering what on Earth she was going to have to wear.   
  
**********  
  
Daniel shifted uncomfortably into his outfit. It consisted of a long black robe with red embroidery down its length, with a long, black cloak over the top of it.   
  
He hated it. It made him look like a woman. Jacob had also issued them with special rings containing a chemical that would help them to convince the Goa'ulds that they were followers of their cause. Sam and Daniel would be going as prisoners, Teal'c would not be able to accompany them down to the surface because he was Jaffa and the Goa'ulds would know that they were being tricked.   
  
Jacob was Sam and Daniel's master, who had captured them in battle and wished to make them hosts as soon as they had been accepted by the other Goa'uld at Nirrti's summit.   
  
Daniel sighed as he tried to scratch his ear in his robe. It was very difficult. He wondered what Sam had been given to wear, and made a mental note to complain to the Tok'ra high council.   
  
**********  
  
Sam groaned in despair as she looked at her reflection in the window of the ship. She looked stupid. She had been given a long red dress, not unlike the blue one she'd had to wear back on their first mission as SG-1. It had black embroidery down the left side, and she also had a red robe to throw over the top. Yes, she thought, the Tok'ra high council were going to get it when she got back. She wondered what Daniel had been made to wear.   
  
**********  
  
Laira got up. It was the middle of the night on Edora, and Jack was sleeping peacefully beside her. Being careful not to wake him, she walked out of the hut and into the night.   
  
She walked out into a clearing and pulled a small device out of her pocket. It was silver and Goa'uld in design, with an amber-coloured button in the centre.   
  
She pushed it, and spoke into the device.   
  
"My goddess, do you hear me?"   
  
Nirrti's voice answered. "I hear you, Laira. What is it you have to tell me?"   
  
"The Tok'ra informant has picked up three of the Tau'ri that you wanted. Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson and the jaffa Teal'c."   
  
Nirrti smiled. "You have done well, my child. What is it that you ask in return?"   
  
"My goddess, I only ask that you spare the life of the fourth member. I have grown very attached to him, and him to me. His motives differ to those of his fellow Tau'ri."  
  
Nirrti sighed. "Love is a dangerous thing, my child, but I am in your debt. I thank you."   
  
"It was a pleasure, my goddess," Laira said happily, taking her finger off of the amber button in the centre of the device.   
  
An evil smile spread across her face. It soon vanished as she heard footsteps behind her. Quickly, she slipped the device into her pocket and turned around to see Jack.   
  
"Watcha doin?" he asked.   
  
"I...I couldn't sleep," she smiled.   
  
Jack smiled back at her. "Come on, let's go back inside."   
  
**********  
  
Teal'c called to Sam, Daniel and Jacob. "We are nearing the ship!"   
  
Jacob strode quickly out from his room - Sam and Daniel followed with a degree of difficulty. Teal'c couldn't help but smirk when he saw them.   
  
"Daniel Jackson, you are aware..."   
  
"Yes, Teal'c," he sighed in aggravation, "I am aware."   
  
"Good luck," Teal'c said, and prepared to ring them down onto the ship where Nirrti's meeting would be taking place.   
  
The rings woodshed down and transported the three people onto the cargo ship.  
  
**********  
  
Jack sat out by the lake the next morning. He skimmed a stone across the surface of the water and couldn't help but think about Sam. He felt bad that they had argued so fiercely, especially when he knew that she was right. He had promised her that the planet would not change anything between them, but once again he had lied to her.   
  
Dropping his hands to his sides, he wondered where she was now and what she was doing. He bit down on his lip to stop himself from sniffing, because he didn't want to cry. No matter how bad he felt about Sam, he was with Laira now. He was happy...wasn't he?  
  
**********  
  
Sam and Daniel remained silent while Selmak introduced them. Nirrti looked at them with a small smile that Sam and Daniel didn't like the look of.   
  
"You may take your slaves to a room down the corridor," she said deeply, running her eyes down both Sam and Daniel with interest and amusement.   
  
Jacob nodded and bowed to her, leading Sam and Daniel away from the main room and into a smaller one down a corridor. He opened the door and looked inside. It was small, certainly less comfortable than their accommodation on Edora, and smelt musty.   
  
"Home sweet home," Daniel joked. Sam smiled weakly.   
  
"I'll be back soon, take care of yourselves," said Jacob, wondering why Nirrti had made him drop off Sam and Daniel. Normally they had to remain with him at all times...  
  
Daniel was exploring his and Sam's new prison. He went to one corner and remained there for a long while. Sam looked up at him.   
  
"Daniel?"   
  
"Sam, come here for a second."   
  
"What is it Daniel?"   
  
"Is...is that blood?"   
  
There was a small pause.   
  
"Oh my God. Daniel, wha-"   
  
Before they had time to do anything, a triumphant looking Nirrti entered the room, fully armed and with four jaffa flanking her.   
  
"Well, well, well. You walked right into the trap," she smiled.   
  
Sam and Daniel looked at each other in horror.   
  
"Remove their rings!" Nirrti ordered the jaffa - she'd obviously seen them coming. Of course, Sam and Daniel had no idea that it was Laira who had spilled the beans, but then again it was the least of their concerns at that moment.   
  
"Now," said Nirrti, slowly and deliberately, "Which of you will be tortured first?"   
  
**********  
  
At the Tok'ra base, Malek was listening to a transmission from Selmak.   
  
"Everything appears to be okay, Malek, but I don't know. Something just feels......off."   
  
Malek's brow furrowed in concern. "How so, Selmak?" he asked.   
  
"Nirrti made me take Sam and Daniel to a different room and lock them in there."   
  
"But...normally the slaves are to stay with the masters at all times, Selmak."   
  
"I know that, Malek, that's why I'm concerned. My host Jacob is almost beside himself."   
  
"Have you made contact with either Samantha or Daniel in the last few hours?"   
  
"No. One of Nirrti's escorts has been talking to me about the process."   
  
"Jacob - I fear that you and the two Tau'ri are in great danger. You must leave as soon as you can!"   
  
"I can't! I don't know where she's taken them! If I ask her to see them, she'll smell a rat. I just have to wait for a while."   
  
"Selmak, Nirrti has obviously caught wind of what we were planning. If this is so, Samantha and Daniel do not have a while! She is probably torturing them as we speak!"   
  
"Malek, who could have told her?"   
  
"I am unsure, Selmak. I will relay this information to the Tok'ra high Council. Until I get back to you, I suggest that you lie low and pray that the two Tau'ri will still be alive when you next meet."   
  
"Thanks, Malek."   
  
**********  
  
Sam cried out to Nirrti to stop as Daniel collapsed to the floor in agony, his hands at his head.   
  
"Stop! Please, leave him alone!"   
  
Nirrti smiled as she lowered her ribbon device. It was not something she often used - genetic manipulation was much more fun - but she found that it had a great effect on the Tau'ri.  
  
"And what would you offer me in return for his life? Yours?" she asked.  
  
Sam was speechless. "I..."   
  
Nirrti raised her hand and activated the device on Sam's head. She was surprised (and a little annoyed) to find that it was a little less effective on her.   
  
"You have become a host to a Goa'uld before," Nirrti said.   
  
Sam swallowed. It wasn't a pleasant experience to remember.   
  
"It must have been...most painful for you," Nirrti probed, seeing if psychological torture would work any better.   
  
"It wasn't any fun," Sam replied, immediately wishing she hadn't.  
  
One of the jaffa, tired of her insolence, took out his staff weapon and fired it at her shoulder.   
  
Fortunately, he was a bad aim and the blast only grazed her shoulder, but it still knocked her to the floor and began to bleed profusely.   
  
Nirrti grinned. "Enough for now. I will see you again tomorrow."   
  
"Can't wait," Daniel groaned from the floor.   
  
**********  
  
  
  
"What about the planet where they were staying?"   
  
Garshaw was speaking at the Tok'ra high council.   
  
"Well, there were very few inhabitants there anyway, and SG-1 knew them from previous experience," Malek said.   
  
"Is there not still a possibility that one of them could be in the service of Nirrti?"   
  
Malek nodded thoughtfully. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."   
  
Garshaw frowned. "Malek, that - "   
  
Malek shrugged. "It's a line from a Tau'ri movie. Jacob told me about it. Called The..."   
  
Garshaw glared at him. "That is of little importance, Malek. What is important is that we find Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson and, with Selmak's help, bring them back to safety!"   
  
"I was only trying to be of help, Garshaw."   
  
Her face softened. "I know. I believe that the best course of action would be to investigate the local population of Edora. We will go from there."   
  
"Yes, that does seem to be a prudent suggestion." Persus replied, then he added:  
  
"Malek, take Garshaw with you."   
  
"Yes, Persus," Malek answered dutifully.   
  
**********  
  
Nirrti picked up a transmitter and turned it over in her hand. She could use it to bargain with the Tok'ra - she knew that they were unwilling to sacrifice the lives of any Tau'ri, and she would use this against them. With an evil smile, she pressed the centre button and spoke slowly into it.   
  
**********  
  
The Tok'ra were about to leave the council chamber when their main transmitter crackled into life. Malek instantly jumped out of his seat and went over to the transmitter, recording the message as it played.   
  
"Tok'ra shol'va!" she spat, "It may surprise you to know that your attempt to infiltrate my meeting was thwarted. I now have the two Tau'ri warriors prisoner, and your Tok'ra Selmak will soon join them. Surrender your forces, and bow to me as your goddess, and I will release them. If you chose to disobey me, they will all three be killed - and I shall personally make sure that it is very slow and painful. You have little time, Shol'vas. I suggest you chose wisely."   
  
The transmission ended. The Tok'ra all looked at each other in desperation. What were they to do?  
  
Malek cleared his throat. "I could take Anise down to Edora to continue questioning the locals, while (Garshaw) you and Persus can wait here and keep abreast of our current situation."   
  
Persus nodded. "That is a good suggestion, Malek. I suggest that you leave immediately."   
  
"Yes, Persus," he replied.   
  
**********  
  
Laira groaned as she saw a Teltak landing in the fields. When would those pesky Tok'ra leave her and Jack alone? Jack, thinking that it was Sam, Danny, Teal'c and Jacob returning, went over to the Teltak and waited for them to emerge. He was less than happy when Anise exited the ship, followed by Malek.   
  
"What are you doing here? Where's Carter, Danny, Teal'c and Jacob?" he asked in annoyance.   
  
"I am afraid that we do not bring good news, Colonel," said Anise.   
  
"What is it this time?" Jack asked, as Laira came over to join him.   
  
Anise held up the transmitter and pressed the 'relay message' button. (Of course it wasn't actually labelled as this, but you needed to know!)  
  
"Tok'ra shol'va! It may surprise you to know that your attempt to infiltrate my meeting was thwarted. I now have the two Tau'ri warriors prisoner, and your Tok'ra Selmak will soon join them. Surrender your forces, and bow to me as your goddess, and I will release them. If you chose to disobey me, they will all three be killed - and I shall personally make sure that it is very slow and painful. You have little time, Shol'vas. I suggest you chose wisely."  
  
Jack's face drained of colour. "What can we do?"   
  
Malek sighed. "Nothing. I am afraid that until we find who tipped Nirrti off, it is up to Jacob, Samantha and Daniel."   
  
Anise added what Malek was afraid to. "If our suspicions are confirmed, Samantha and Daniel will almost certainly be dying as we speak. Nirrti takes great delight in torturing her prisoners slowly."   
  
Jack ran a hand through his hair. "Who could have done this?"   
  
Laira swallowed - she would have to tread carefully, or her evil game would be uncovered.   
  
"Come back to the village, and let me make us a drink," she smiled.   
  
Malek shook his head. "I am afraid that Tau'ri beverages do not appease my stomach. We shall begin questioning the villagers immediately."  
  
Laira coughed indignantly. "You cannot just march into our village and torture my people!"   
  
Jack, a little shocked at Laira's outburst, reassured her.   
  
"Laira, they won't torture the people here - they just want to ask some questions."   
  
Malek and Anise headed for the village, walking quickly.   
  
"I am unsure of your feelings, Anise, but the woman called Laira seemed extremely agitated when we spoke of questioning."   
  
"I agree, Malek, but I think we should leave her questioning until last, so as not to raise her suspicions."   
  
"I only hope that we are not too late for Selmak, Daniel and Samantha."   
  
Anise thought for a moment. "We could make contact with Teal'c. He may be able to help us!"   
  
"Colonel!" said Malek, "This device will enable you to speak with Teal'c. Can you inform him of our situation?"   
  
"Yeah," said Jack, taking the device from Malek and pressing the amber button in the centre.   
  
"Teal'c? Teal'c, buddy, come in!"   
  
**********  
  
Meanwhile, on Nirrti's ship, Selmak and Jacob were having the internal equivalent of World War One.   
  
+ Jacob, I believe that our best option would be to escape the ship and report back to Teal'c +  
  
"Sel! I am not leaving my daughter here to die! Or Daniel! They mean a lot to me!"   
  
+ Jacob, I understand that you have personal attachments...+  
  
"PERSONAL ATTATCHMENTS? SEL, SHE'S MY FLIPPING DAUGHTER!"   
  
+ You do not have to raise your voice so, Jacob. I understand how you are feeling. +  
  
"Good, then you'll support my idea to find them and escape."   
  
+ JACOB! IF WE ARE TO ESCAPE ALIVE WE HAVE TO LEAVE THEM BEHIND!+  
  
"NO!"   
  
Jacob began to shake. "I WILL NOT LEAVE MY LITTLE GIRL HERE TO DIE, SEL, AND THAT'S FINAL!"   
  
Selmak sighed in deep annoyance. + You are incredibly stubborn, Jacob. +  
  
**********  
  
Sam leant with her back against a wall, cradling Daniel in her arms. He was finally sleeping. Sam held him protectively around his back, his head resting on her chest.   
  
He was extremely weakened from the torture - Nirrti had been picking on him more than Sam. His forehead was red from all the times that Nirrti had used the ribbon device on him, his arms and legs badly bruised from the jaffa beatings and there was a long cut on his cheek that occasionally dripped with blood.   
  
Sam was not much better off. The staff blast wound on her shoulder stung like a bee sting, the wound was cauterised and only oozed a little blood, her arms and legs were also bruised from the jaffa and she had a cut down the right side of her face, from her temple to her chin. The cut was stinging like mad and still bleeding down her cheek.   
  
She had to remain strong, for Daniel's sake. In her heart, she knew that her dad and Teal'c would find them a way out of this nightmare, but it would take time. Time was the one luxury that they didn't have.   
  
A tear ran slowly down her cheek as she gently stroked Daniel's hair, wishing that she could be home with Jack and her friends. Even fighting with Jack would be better than this. She thought about him and Laira, and the tears ran even faster.   
  
"Come on, dad," she whispered into the darkness, closing her eyes in despair.   
  
**********  
  
Teal'c looked worriedly out of the window of the Tok'ra ship. Obviously he could see nothing, but he was worried.   
  
"O'Neill, I can ring Jacob up onto the ship, but I fear that Major Carter and Daniel Jackson are beyond my reach."   
  
Jack sighed. That was typical.   
  
"What?" Malek asked.   
  
"Jacob's fine," said Jack, "Teal'c is just ringing him up onto the ship, but Sam and Daniel..." his voice trailed off.   
  
Anise bowed her head. "I am sorry, Colonel. I am sure that..."   
  
Jack waved his hand at her and walked away. "They're not dead yet," he said quietly.   
  
Laira frowned. Damn! She thought - how long was her goddess going to take killing them?  
  
"Laira, we have to ask you a few questions, but first...We need to know if you are carrying any Goa'uld transmission devices."   
  
Laira laughed. "Me? I don't have one!"   
  
Jack turned around with a sigh. "Just show 'em your pockets, Laira - nothing to worry about."   
  
"No!" she shouted, backing away from the Tok'ra.   
  
"If you have nothing to conceal, there is nothing to fear," said Anise pointedly.   
  
"Laira!" said Jack exasperatedly, walking over to her, "Let me do it."   
  
"No!" she shouted, but it was too late.  
  
Jack put his hand into the pocket of her dress and it touched something metallic. His eyes rose to meet hers.   
  
"Tell me..." he said slowly..."That this isn't what I think it is."   
  
Slowly, he pulled the device out of her pocket. Malek and Anise looked at Laira with hate. Jack held the transmitter in his trembling hand.   
  
"You?" he asked, "All along..."   
  
"If you hadn't been so blinded by love you would have noticed!" she spat.   
  
Jack felt as if he'd just been slapped in the face. "You bitch! You crazy bitch! Do you have any idea what you've done?"   
  
"I've done what I set out to do," she smiled.   
  
Jack thought he was going to be sick. "Sam..." he whispered.   
  
"Yeah," said Laira slowly, "I bet Nirrti's torturing her right now, spilling her blood all over..."   
  
"SHUT UP!" Jack yelled, and had to be restrained by Malek, which proved to be difficult for the skinny Tok'ra.   
  
Anise put a pair of cuffs on Laira and led her back to the Teltak. Jack fell to his knees on the ground and allowed himself to cry. He'd been such an ass.   
  
Again, Sam had been right and he'd been so, so wrong.   
  
"I killed her," he said quietly.   
  
Malek knelt down beside him. "Now that we know who it was, she will be duly punished."   
  
"I don't care what happens to her!" he said, "I care about Sam. It's my damned fault..."   
  
His speech was choked with tears. Malek was very moved.   
  
"She is still alive, Colonel, and she has had your training. I believe that we may be able to pull this off."   
  
"With a miracle, you mean!" Jack added, trying to pull himself together.   
  
"That would be useful, yes, but for now...We have to return to the Teltak. From there we can fly to Teal'c and Selmak and discuss what to do next."   
  
When Jack failed to move, he added:  
  
"O'Neill, we must be quick. The longer they spend with Nirrti, the more likely they are to end up dead."   
  
**********  
  
After what seemed like hours, Jack and Malek arrived at Teal'c's ship. It was there that they found a very indignant-looking Tok'ra.  
  
"Hi, Jacob," said Jack.   
  
"Jacob is currently unable to form a pleasant sentence," Selmak informed him, "Perhaps I can be of help?"   
  
"Just stop him from killing Teal'c," he said.   
  
"That is what I am doing now," Selmak smiled.   
  
"What's the situation, Teal'c?" Malek asked.   
  
"I believe that if we can get Major Carter and Daniel Jackson into the corridor that I could ring them up, Malek. All we need is for Nirrti to release them."   
  
"So, what? A distraction?" Jack asked.   
  
"Exactly," Teal'c replied.   
  
Jack thought for a moment, and then a wicked grin appeared on his face.   
  
"Anise?" he asked innocently.   
  
"Yes, Colonel?" she replied, completely unaware of what he was planning.  
  
"Teal'c, beam us down."   
  
"Yes, O'Neill."   
  
**********  
  
"I must say that I am unhappy with this plan of action, Colonel," said Anise, as she stood in the middle of a corridor.   
  
"I know, but if we wanna free Sam and Daniel..."   
  
"I am prepared to do whatever is necessary," she replied.   
  
"Good," said Jack, "Now, on my mark."   
  
He put his fingers in his ears. "Now!"   
  
Anise screamed as loud as she could.   
  
**********  
  
Nirrti jumped and lowered her ribbon device from Daniel's forehead. "Jaffa?" she asked.   
  
"We will go and investigate, my goddess." The chief jaffa bowed and led his men out of the door.   
  
Jack zatted them all with the help of Anise, then moved to the room where Sam and Daniel were being held. Sam looked straight past Nirrti and at the door, where she saw a very familiar-looking foot sticking round the door.   
  
Before Nirrti could do anything, Jack burst in and zatted her. Then, he quickly jumped over her and ran over to Sam and Daniel.   
  
"How are you?" Jack asked.   
  
Daniel grunted and collapsed again. Sam bent down and tried to pull him into her arms, but her aching limbs finally failed her.   
  
Anise gave Sam her arm and the two women went quickly into the corridor, whilst Jack hoisted Daniel up into his arms and ran after them.   
  
With a roar of rage, Nirrti rose up off of the floor and attempted to go after them, but she was too late.   
  
Jack waved a mocking goodbye at her as Teal'c expertly ringed them back up onto the cargo ship.   
  
**********  
  
"Go!" Anise shouted, as Nirrti's ship began to fire on them.   
  
Teal'c yanked the controls upwards and the ship began to accelerate away.   
  
Jack gently put Daniel down on the floor and looked over at Sam. Malek was sat beside her, and Selmak was still trying to neutralise Jacob's temper.   
  
He slowly crawled over to her, his gut twisting in agony as he saw the state she was in.   
  
"Jack?" she asked, opening her eyes slowly.   
  
"It's okay," he whispered, "I'm here."   
  
He pulled her into his arms as she began to cry, and placed a kiss on the top of her head.   
  
"I'm so sorry," he said, tears beginning to form in his eyes again.   
  
Her hand clutched tightly hold of his, and his of hers, as the ship made its way back to Earth.   
  
**********  
  
Two days later, SG-1 and Janet were all up at Jack's cabin, having the party that Jack had promised Sam all those weeks ago. Jack and Sam were stretched out on the couch, Teal'c was on one armchair, and Janet and Daniel were trying to share another, without much success.   
  
Jack smiled as he pulled Sam closer to him, completely ignoring the video that was playing.   
  
"I love you," he whispered to her.   
  
"I love you too," she replied, and they shared a kiss.   
  
"Whhhooooo!" said Janet happily, whooping so loud that Daniel nearly fell off of the chair.   
  
"Get a room!" Daniel grinned.   
  
Jack threw a bit of pizza at him, and they were all soon involved in a furious food fight. SG-1 were definitely back to normal again...  
  
THE END  
  
Author's Note: Yes! You finally made it to the end! Please send feedback to samcarterusaf@yahoo.co.uk 


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